The Greenwood Municipal Court serves as the judicial arm of the City of Greenwood. The Court is authorized to hear all cases arising under state or municipal codes which occur within the city limits and the penalty for violation thereof is a fine not more than $500.00 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days unless otherwise directed by state law. This fine amount does not include court assessments.

Responsibilities

The Municipal Court Division provides:

Administrative support to the judicial arm of the court.

Case docketing

Case management

Alternative sentence monitoring

Court fines collection

Court fine and case load reporting

Municipal Court judges and staff ensure citizens and users of the court receive efficient, fair and impartial justice, regardless of individual circumstances and background, in order to protect each citizen’s right to due process under the laws of our country and state.
Personnel

The court is presided over by the Municipal Judge, one of whom is designated Senior Judge. All Municipal Judges are appointed by the City Council for specific terms.
Court Schedule

Court is held every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 9:00am. Court is also held on Tuesday evening at 6:00pm. Court sessions continue until the disposition of all pending cases. Special courts are also scheduled for cases involving Traffic Offenses and Drug Offenses. Typically these are scheduled on Wednesday at 2:00pm.

Jury Trials are scheduled for week long terms, usually twice a month as scheduling permits.

Jury rosters are prepared from among the licensed drivers residing in the City of Greenwood.
You are disqualified as a juror if:

You are not a U.S. citizen

You are not a resident of the municipality of greenwood.

You are a commissioned police officer, sheriff, constable or person employed within the walls of city hall.

You cannot read, write or understand the English language.

You have less than a sixth (6th) grade education or its equivalent.

You have been convicted in a state or federal court of a crime that carries a sentence of more than one year imprisonment and who have not been pardoned or given amnesty for that conviction.

You have a mental or physical condition that prevents you from serving as a juror (doctor excuse required)

You may be excused from jury duty if you are:

If you are 65 years or older and wish to be excused.

You are the primary caretaker of a disabled person or a person age 65 or older who cannot care for him/herself.

You have legal custody and duty of care for a child under the age of seven and who cannot provide adequate childcare while service as a juror.

A student or a school employee who wishes to be transferred to a later date that will not conflict with a school term.

A person who is a guard, keeper, employee or other officer at a state penitentiary.

All requests to be excused / information about jury duty should be directed to the Municipal Court 942-8477.
What happens if I fail to appear for Jury Duty?
If you fail to appear for jury duty without approval by the court you may be held in Contempt of Court, sentenced to a fine of $1,092.50 or 30 days.

Warrants

Warrants for a defendant’s arrest in violation of the criminal laws of the State of South Carolina or Municipal Ordinances may only be signed by a law enforcement officer.

If a crime has been committed against you, report the crime to the Greenwood Police Department. The police will then investigate the crime and obtain warrants if the case warrants and probable cause is found.

Tickets & Bonds
Traffic Tickets
If you are issued a traffic summons by the Greenwood Police Department, you may either post the bond at the Municipal Court Office located at 520 Monument Street or appear in court at the date and time indicated. Fines are due on the day of court. Contact the Municipal Court Office for questions regarding the actual amount of fine and when and where you are to appear, (864) 942-8458, (864) 942-8477, (864) 942-8474.

Parking Tickets
Parking tickets must be paid on or prior to the court date and time. If you fail to do so a penalty fee of $10.00 will be accessed in addition to the original fine amount. To contest a parking ticket, you must appear in court on the date and time indicated on the parking ticket.
Payment of Bonds & Fines
The Greenwood Municipal Court accepts, credit and debit card payments on line for a fee of 4% in addition to the amount of fine paid. Click here to PAY ONLINE. If you pay by mail, only a cashier's check or money order will be accepted. Cash payments will only be allowed if made in person at the Court Office at 520 Monument Street.

The cashier's check or money order must be made out to the CITY OF GREENWOOD. Please include on the cashier’s check or money order the full name of the person and the citation number of the person that received the traffic summons. Failure to do so may not ensure proper credit being given.

These payments can be mailed to:

Greenwood Municipal Court
P.O. Box 40
Greenwood, SC 29648

or they can be dropped in our 24 hour drop box located at the front entrance to the Municipal Building:

The right to be represented by an attorney. A Public Defender may be appointed for offenses that you may be sentenced to jail time. The defendant must meet eligibility requirements as determined by the court.

The right to a jury trial

The right to a continuance of your case in order to obtain an attorney or to have witnesses subpoenaed by the court. You must first attempt to contact the arresting officer in order to ascertain a new court date if the request is not made on the date you appear when all parties are present. If this fails, then contact the court and we will assist you in getting in contact with the officer.

What happens if I fail to appear in court?
If you fail to appear for your scheduled court date without approval or a continuance by the court, a bench warrant may be issued for your arrest. If you are a witness, properly subpoenaed, and you fail to attend you may be held in Contempt of Court, sentenced to a fine of $1,092.50 or 30 days.

For certain violations, the Department of Motor Vehicle will be notified of your failure to appear and your driver's license will be suspended.
What happens if you can't come to court on your scheduled court date?
You must contact the arresting officer in order to secure a new court date. The arresting officer may be contacted by calling 864-942-8405. If there are problems in contacting the officer or securing the new court date then contact the Municipal Court Office at 864-942-8458 or 864-942-8478 for assistance in contacting the officer.
What other courtroom policies do I need to be aware of?

All cell phones and pagers must be turned off or mute

No food or drink is allowed in the courtroom

Appropriate dress required

Children that disrupt court sessions will not be allowed therein. The parent or guardian will be asked to remove the child/children from the court room.

Appeal Instructions

You have 10 days to file and appeal. The appellant shall file notice of appeal with the clerk of circuit court, Clerk of Court, Room 114 at the Court House, 528 Monument Street, and shall serve notice of appeal upon the municipal judge who tried the case and upon the designated agent for the prosecuting agency or attorney who prosecuted the charge, stating the grounds upon which the appeal is founded.

For notice on the Judge that tried you case you may mail or hand-deliver your appeal to:

The Municipal Court will file the notice of appeal with the Court of Common Pleas for Greenwood County.

If you want your sentence to be stayed or held until your appeal has been heard, then you must ask the Trial Judge to do this at the time you file your appeal. You may do so in writing or by appearing in court. The Judge may require you to post bail or a Surety Bond with conditions.

When the appeal has been filed, you will be notified of the hearing date by the Clerk of Court of Common Pleas, whose location is: